Scar on My Heart
by Ledzepfan
Summary: A wound may remain a fleeting memory of a time, but a scar is a permanent engraving on a body or soul. A scar can dictate what we feel, how we act, and the course one life may take.


Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo TV is the property of AIC and Pioneer. I am not receiving any monetary profit from the use of their characters and plots.  
  
This fic takes place in the Tenchi Muyo TV Universe in a setting in which Tenchi has not yet left Jurai to go back to Earth after the Kagato battle.  
  
*****   
Scar on My Heart  
By Ledzepfan  
  
  
In a second, a life can be changed, transformed or destroyed. A thought can change the way the world functions. A string of random occurrences can be the direct cause of a major event. Lives can collide upon a cold stage where no winner exists, or lives can meet in a blissful atmosphere of pure euphoria.  
  
Such it is with life.   
  
A mistake can alter the future. One stray occurrence can shift the future from one in which life has no value, and chaos reigns to a world in which people can live, in which life is cherished. Sometimes it takes bravery to bring about good… Other times it takes an act of gentle divination…  
  
… or a sacrifice.  
  
An entire planet of people could be spared by one miniscule factor… this time; the factor came in the shape of a man.  
  
  
  
"We need a goddamn medic over here," a GP officer called out from the hustle and bustle going on around her. Her light blue hair was damp from sweat, a byproduct of the tension she had been enduring before. For she had been one of the hostages of the terrorist group, Kain, their group's name and purpose inspired by the legendary criminal.   
  
Each terrorist had worn a white mask, as the legend, Kain, had been rumored to wear; the mask an eerie smile that only served to unsettle those who saw it. The terrorist group had had no goals other than to destroy. They had only sought to feed on the chaos they could instill.  
  
There was no prophecy they had been trying to fulfill. No greater good.   
  
The officer that crouched over the fallen man in front of her had been part of the strike force, a joint effort by the Galaxy Police and Jurai, that had been charged with the task of infiltrating the base that the terrorists had set up. They had treated the situation with all the caution it deserved. The threat Kain had put out was unheard of. Through years of planning, they had managed to steal one of the destructive weapons of the fabled Washu: a weapon that had enough power to destroy a planet with little trouble.  
  
And the planet they had in mind had demanded them all the attention of the entire universe, for the planet they targeted was the planet Jurai. The GP and Jurain infiltration team had failed to neutralize the threat, their only success was the further aggravation of the terrorists and the destruction of half the infiltration team.  
  
She had almost been among those who had been killed.  
  
Kain's official announcement to the media had made no demands. It only had stated that Jurai would be no more by the end of the day. Evacuation of the planet had ensued and as the Universe had planned to move against the terrorists, Kain had made another announcement: That any attempt to attack them would eliminate what little time they had left before Jurai would be destroyed. An attack would do away with precious time that they needed to evacuate the citizens with.  
  
And as the political officials including Empress Aeka Jurai, Grand Marshal Kiyone Makibi, Supreme Marshal Mihoshi Kuramitsu, First Crown Princess Sasami Jurai and President of the Universal Science Academy, Washu Hakubi had watched the sick smiles of the terrorists in charge via their direct feed to Kain's base, hope had been lost. The full evacuation of the planet Jurai had been commencing as fast as possible as Sasami had gazed upon the screen with her fists clenched.   
  
Yet a shadow moving across the background of the video screen had appeared sparking their attention. Immediately after the short glimpse of a figure they had been treated to, laser blasts and the screams of Kain's members filled the video screen of the political officials. And as the screen went completely to static, a complete invasion of the base had been set up to aid the mysterious shadow. When the teams had arrived, the terrorists had all been destroyed, the hostages had dismantled the weapon and a man had staggered out of the shadows, only to collapse in front of a blue haired hostage.   
  
  
  
"I'm coming," a voice called out through the mob of people. A young man emerged through the crowd leading a group of paramedics behind him. Immediate recognition popped onto his face at the site of the girl.   
  
"Jade are you okay?" he called out as he broke into a sprint. The woman's face lit up despite the predicament she was in as the young man reached her side. She was almost prepared to jump on him with her normal enthusiasm when a cough emitted from the man underneath her.   
  
"Yeah," she called out with guilt over her forgetfulness of her savior. She gazed down upon the man, studying him for the first time to see that he was clothed in a dark cloak hiding his entire feature. He lay on his back, however the fabric of the cloaks hood covered nearly all of his face, making him unrecognizable.   
  
"But he's not," she admitted with remorse as the stranger coughed again. She looked to wear the man had come from to see a thick trail of blood. Immediately, she gasped at the sight and covered her mouth with her hands.   
  
"Oh god… Akari you have to help him!" she cried out as the medic knelt down next to the man. She watched, as his face became an image of horror as the hand he had placed on his neck only gave him the knowledge of a weak pulse.  
  
"Tsunami," he cried out as he withdrew his hand, only to reveal that the fingertips were coated in blood. "Get him onto a stretcher," he signaled to the paramedics as he placed his hand underneath the small of his patients back.   
  
"One, two, three, up!' he called out as a couple paramedics aided him in transporting the wounded man onto a stretcher. "Get him to the ambulance, quick," he ordered as the medics began to take the man away.   
  
Quickly, Akari spun around to face Jade. "Get back to the house with the girls," he pleaded. "I'll be back home when we get him under control and in the hospital," he said signaling to the man he had just treated. "Then we can talk."  
  
"You better take good care of him," she ordered giving him a hug. He immediately stiffened, feeling awkward by the contact. She pulled back with a face full of tears that she seldom, if ever, shed.  
  
"And that's just talk between you and me. No prissy restaurant hostess involved," the beautiful blue haired woman clarified with a smile, though tears continued to drop out of her eyes.   
  
"It's a deal," he agreed as he turned around and ran off toward the ambulance. He jumped aboard the floating ship, designated ambulance by it's paint job, in one swift motion leaving behind the blue haired woman to cry as she hugged herself; the look she had gotten of the wounded man when he had been put onto the stretcher, forever burned into her mind.  
  
  
  
"What's your name," the cloaked figure asked from the stretcher as the ambulance continued to drive on. The black haired medic that was connecting an IV to the figures arm stopped, taken aback.  
  
"Sir, try to conserve your energy," he rebuked as he laid out some tools in front of him. Akari shifted his gave to the still undecipherable face of the man he was treating. He approached the man and shed away the hood to reveal a person that looked at the most, five years older than his twenty-year-old self.  
  
"Was that beautiful women your girlfriend? Wife perhaps?" the wounded patient continued, ignoring Akari's warning. "By the way, kid, what's your name?"   
  
Akari grimaced as the wounded man ignored his orders. "Really, you need to stop talking to save all your energy," he said again, darting beyond revealing any more about his patients predicament. He began to move to attach medical equipment to the patient to help heal him only to have his hand swatted away.  
  
"God damn it, I know I'm dieing," the patient yelled, getting frustrated. "Let me die on my own terms… it's not even worth it to try and save me. Please," he pleaded. Without warning a trail of blood began to leak out of both sides of his mouth. "Well let's hear it," he said, wiping the blood off with his cloak.  
  
"Akari Kamiya," he said, blushing from embarrassment. "And no she isn't."  
  
"Isn't which one?" the patient continued to pry.   
  
The blush on the medics face became even darker as he answered. "She's just a friend that lives with me and some other girls."  
  
"Lemme guess, Girl troubles?" the wounded man laughed. He immediately regretted it as pain filled his entire being.   
  
"You don't know the half of it," the medic replied as he sat down next to the makeshift bed that his patient laid on inside the ambulance. He let out a sigh as the man that lay next to him began to chuckle again.  
  
"I think I know more about it than you think," the patient cryptically replied as he closed his eyes in remembrance. He slowly opened them again and gazed upon the medic with a serious expression.  
  
"Are you in love with one of them?" he asked quietly.  
  
For a moment, the medic was taken aback. He began to stutter but a lack of courage tore his eye contact away from his patients. Yet the serious expression on the older mans face haunted his vision and demanded that he answer. Lowering his head as he began to blush again, the medic answered: "Yes I am."  
  
"And do you plan on acting on these emotions?" the patient pried.  
  
"Of course not," Akari declared standing up. "If I do that, I'll hurt the other. I mean, there are six girls that live with me and two are in love with me. The others might have crushes or whatever but they're all like sisters to me… except for-"  
  
"-the one that your in love with," the patient finished. His gaze never wavered as he fought through the pain swelling in his body. "You have to make a choice before it's too late," the older man stated. "At least tell her your feelings."  
  
"How do you know what I should do? Who are you to say anything?" Akari asked, his temper flaring. He glared at his patient, a reflection of the tender ground that the wounded man had been walking upon.  
  
"If you need convincing," the older man sighed. "Then let me tell you a story…." He gathered up all the energy that he could before beginning his tale, his desire to set right a possible wrong giving him strength to speak.  
  
  
  
  
  
Tenchi Masaki walked down the corridor of the Jurai Imperial Palace aimlessly, simply listening to his footsteps echo in the empty corridor. The word empty was a perfect description of the void he felt inside. Two pairs of footsteps that were not his own began to faintly sound off in the background.  
  
Tenchi resigned himself to wait for the footsteps to approach him as he sat down against the wall in the hallway. His face was straight yet his eyes looked sad and lost. He extended his legs out and sat with his upper torso against the wall, and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling.  
  
Blankly, he stared on, his eyes piercing through the walls to some far off place where a woman with cyan hair floated with a smile of happiness on her face. His face almost broke into a smile at the thought of the mischievous pirate.   
  
She phased down through the ceiling with a face full of love as his brown eyes gazed upward. "Ryoko," Tenchi uttered in disbelief. "But where were you," he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet.  
  
"Did you miss me Tenchi," she cooed as she leaned on his shoulder and drew circles on his chest with one finger. "Because I happen to know a way we can get reacquainted," she taunted.   
  
"B-b-b-but Ryoko," he managed to get out as she began to drag him towards a door. "Here?" he asked. "Out in the public?"  
  
"You mean you want to Tenchi?" Ryoko asked, excitement apparent in her voice.   
  
Tenchi gulped loudly but did not object. Ryoko began to spin him around in a circle with happiness, giggling as she did. Her happy demeanor diffused into his body and he found himself laughing along with her. Loud footsteps brought them both out of their happy reverie as two people crept ever closer to them.   
  
"Well, I have to head off for a couple minutes," Ryoko taunted as she began to float into the ceiling. She blew a kiss goodbye as Azaka and Kamidake rounded the corner, their faces taught with worry.  
  
"Lord Tenchi, we have been sent to inform you that dinner is ready," Azaka said as he and Kamidake bowed.   
  
"Princess Sasami has been working on a special dinner for you," Kamidake added. He began to chuckle with amusement. "She's been working all day in the kitchen in hopes that it will cheer you up."  
  
"And by the way it smells," Azaka laughed heartily. "It should be able to fix any bad mood."  
  
"Well then lead the way," Tenchi laughed. "I sure wouldn't want to disappoint Sasami." Tenchi walked with newfound strength as the knights led him to the dining hall. Enthusiastically, Tenchi sat down at the dining table, happier than the family had seen him since his battle with Kagato.  
  
  
  
  
"Where were you at dinner tonight?" Tenchi asked as he sat down on the roof. "It's no use trying to hide Ryoko, I know you're here." Tenchi lay down on his back as the cyan haired beauty teleported to the air in front of him.  
  
"Aww Tenchi," she whined, playing for sympathy. "Why would I want to share the table with that ugly princess of yours. Besides, sneaking around the palace is much more fun than actually meeting up with everybody." She laughed arrogantly as she began to boast. "Not a guard in this palace has even begun to suspect that I'm around here."  
  
"You know Ryoko," Tenchi rebuked. "You really should try and at least let everyone know that your back. Aeka thinks she has free reign over me right now. I'm surprised I'm not on a leash with her standing behind me, whip in hand," Tenchi teased.   
  
Ryoko looked at his smiling face and bit her lip. Tenchi watched with amusement as her face turned a most interesting shade of red and her cheeks puffed out. Unable to contain herself any longer, she burst out laughing her voice a melodious tune that Tenchi craved to hear.  
  
"Tenchi," she managed to stagger out before bursting out into another fit of giggles. "D-d-d-did you just?" She couldn't complete her sentence as her attempt to calm herself failed and she began to laugh hysterically again, floating up into the air with her high spirits.  
  
Finally, her laughter broke and she let out a content sigh, a happy feeling covering her being. "Gee Tenchi," she began. "I think that's the first time I've ever heard you make fun of someone. I didn't know you had it in you."  
  
"Come on, Ryoko," Tenchi said. "I didn't make fun of her… well actually I did. But it's not like it's the first time I've made fun of someone." He grinned as she floated down onto the palace roof.  
  
"Oh yeah, well name someone else you've made fun of," she taunted back. She looked on with her playful golden eyes, a gleam in her eyes that he rarely saw with her before. But that gleam hadn't left her eyes since he had first met up with her before dinner.  
  
"Well let's see… there was… err… I mean that I always made fun of…" Tenchi rambled on deep in thought. Ryoko burst out in laughter again as Tenchi struggled to find an answer. Tenchi frowned a little at the laughter she was having at his expense. "I just want you to know that the reason I can't think of a name is because I've picked on so many people out there that I can't remember whom I've picked on."  
  
This only served to make Ryoko laugh till she could barely control herself. Tenchi's frown soon turned upside down as he joined her in that blissful laughter. Their laughter echoed on as they both enjoyed each other's company.   
  
"Tenchi this is the most I've ever laughed," Ryoko admitted as Tenchi let out a sigh, enjoying the happy feeling coursing through his body. "Who would've thought you could be such a comedian," she pointed out as she lay on her back and stared up at the sky.   
  
"Hey Tenchi," she asked, as his gaze met the same speckled sea as hers.   
  
"Huh?" he asked, still enjoying the view of the night sky.   
  
"Aren't the stars beautiful?" She sighed as she stared up at the night sky, the moon casting it's paled glow on her face making her eyes sparkle and her hair even lighter. Tenchi found his attention moving from the stars above to the women lying beside him.  
  
His entire awareness was caught as he continued to gaze upon her beauty. "Yeah beautiful," he murmured, his eyes totally focused on her. His eyes took in everything…  
  
From her pale skin to her feline eyes and her carefree smirk, she was absolutely alluring. He even caught wind of the small fangs that just barely showed beneath her upper lip. And with every look, he found himself with the desire to stare at her beauty even more. His stomach felt as if it was about to explode with excitement and his breathing got deeper.  
  
She looked over at him, her senses taking wind of the changes going through his body. She felt her own body matching his own butterflies and deep breathing as Tenchi began to lower his head towards hers.  
  
A million emotions ran through his being as his lips made gentle contact with her lips. She moaned with pleasure as his mouth slowly began to kiss her. The kiss was neither an explosion of passion nor a peck on the cheek between two friends. It was a soul-searching kiss. The kind of kiss shared between two people who truly meet their others true self for the first time. A kiss shared by soul mates.  
  
Time became nonexistent as the two continued kissing. And ever so slowly, they broke apart, blushing, panting and happy. Tenchi yawned as he began to stand up a happy smile on his face. "Well I'm tired so I'm going to head in," he began.  
  
"And don't worry, I'll play along and not let anyone know that you're here," he laughed. She smiled, the happiest he had ever seen her before.   
  
"Goodnight Tenchi," she murmured, her mind unbelieving and utterly astounded.   
  
"Goodnight Ryoko," he said, retreating back into the window of the Jurain palace. He turned around to face her once more as he but a foot on the bottom of the windowsill. "Still, you got to admit. Aeka must be into S and M," he joked as he disappeared into his room. The only sound he left behind was that of a hysterically laughing pirate.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Lord Tenchi," Aeka said with a gentle rap at the door of Tenchi's designated room in the Jurain palace. Of course, to say it was a room was a little off. Tenchi grimaced as he made his way from one end of his "room" which was easily as big as his house, complete with three floors, to the door. 'God this place is huge,' he thought again, he had been thinking nothing else since he had been shown the room. 'Way to big for my tastes,' he added, his grimace a direct result of his distaste.  
  
Well there was one thing that had occupied his brain but he had not seen her yet that morning, as she was still probably playing hide-and-seek with the Jurain guards. He let out a laugh as he thought of his cyan haired friend tapping a guard on the back only to teleport away when the guard went to spin around leaving the said guard completely confused.  
  
"Coming," Tenchi called out his face working into a smile. 'Though I wonder what Miss Aeka is here about,' Tenchi thought as he neared the door. 'Maybe it's to ask again if I will ascend the throne.'  
  
He sighed hoping that it was not the case. 'Simply put,' he concluded. 'I am not a king. I don't have the qualities to be a king, and honestly, I don't want to be a king. I'm just looking forward to going home to the carnival.' His face lit up into an even brighter smile.   
  
"Hello Miss Aeka," Tenchi greeted as he opened the door. "How are you doing today?"  
  
"Fine Lord Tenchi," Aeka answered hesitantly. Her hands were playing with the fabric of her royal kimono, an action Tenchi was sure that was not that of a princess. Aeka was usually very aware of the little things, making sure that her regal appearance was correct. She must have had a lot on her mind to be falling short of her ideal appearance.  
  
"Lord Tenchi," she started, her fingers rubbing up and down her kimono at an even faster rate. "I… I want you to know that you don't have to worry," she stated. She took a breath as she prepared to continue. She had been working out the conversation in her head all day, and with the coming of the evening hours, she had gained enough courage to confront the prince. "Everyone has been depressed since Ryoko has yet to come back, but I would like you to know that we have a good portion of the Jurain fleet looking for her."  
  
"Ryoko?" Tenchi asked as a shock of cyan hair phased through the back wall of the hallway in which Aeka was standing. The pirate winked at him as she stuck her tongue out at the purple haired princess.  
  
"Yes…" Aeka admitted with a blush. "Everyone has been so utterly miserable around here without her presence."   
  
"Well why don't you come in, instead of standing in the hallway," Tenchi interrupted as Ryoko came closer to the princess, almost to the point of contact. Tenchi led her into a living room of sorts and took a seat on the loveseat across from the TV.   
  
Aeka herself, sat down on the couch, placing her hands in her lap. The slump to her shoulders and sad aura her face held gave her the illusion of being very small. She looked even sadder as she made eye contact with Tenchi.  
  
"I fear that I miss her terribly," Aeka stated as she hugged her upper torso. "I never thought that I would miss her so much but…" Aeka swallowed as she felt her composure beginning to break.   
  
"The sooner we find her and bring her back here," Aeka stated, "the better. Everyone is terribly lonely without her bright presence. Lord Tenchi, I just want you to know that you have my vow that I will find her, no matter how much effort it takes on my part," she declared.  
  
Tenchi watched as Ryoko looked taken aback for a moment. She had followed the pair into the room and situated herself, floating just behind the couch. Tenchi had been watching her carefully; his attention glued to her every move.  
  
"Miss Aeka, I wouldn't worry…" Tenchi started but cut himself off as his eyes registered Ryoko's shaking head and her lips form the words, "Don't tell her yet." Respecting the golden-eyed woman's wishes he just sighed and looked down at the fragile looking princess.  
  
"Thank you Miss Aeka," he said his eyes looking upon her face. "I have no doubt in my mind that you will find her."   
  
"Lord Tenchi," Aeka began standing up. "I just want you to know that I am here for you if you need it. We all are, and we would all want you to know that you can confide anything in us." She straightened her back and turned to leave, Ryoko teleporting away just in time to avoid being seen.   
  
Damn did he ever want to tell Aeka that Ryoko had been in that very room… to put the woman's worries to rest. But he respected the pirate's wishes and did not speak of that. Instead the words to escape his mouth were only that of bidding the princess a good day.   
  
"It was nice to see you Lord Tenchi," Aeka replied heading to the door, followed by Tenchi. "I will see you at dinner in a couple hours," she said as she turned around to face him once more. Ever so slowly, she began to inch towards him before suddenly hugging him with all her might.   
  
"I'm sure we'll find her," Aeka cried out as she let go of him and ran out of the room, tears streaming down her face. Tenchi only found himself able to stand there, staring at a drop of moisture on the floor.   
  
The telltale sound of teleportation brought him out of his astonishment. "I never knew she cared so much," Ryoko admitted as she floated over to Tenchi and shut the door.   
  
"Well she does," Tenchi snapped. His heart was awhirl in confusion. "Ryoko, is this just a game?" he asked incredulously. "Everybody's missing you, and yet you don't reveal yourself to anyone but me. You're hurting them."  
  
"Tenchi believe me, I'd love to tell them but I can't," she replied back, a few tears leaking out of her eyes. "But Tenchi, lets forget about it all for now because it'll all be taken care of soon," she said, a smile spreading across her face. "And besides, I want to hold you to what you said before."  
  
"Ryoko," he managed to get out. His walls crumbled though as he looked upon the face he had missed with all his heart. "Okay," he consented.   
  
Her features lit up as she jumped on him, planting a passionate kiss on his lips and hugging his body close to hers. Tenchi pulled back for a moment to smile at her face as he fazed upon her beauty. He lifted his hand up to her face slowly and began to trace his fingers across her features.   
  
His fingers slowly ran across every aspect of her face, immortalizing her in his heart and capturing that moment for him to always remember. "I missed you so much," he admitted as he moved his hands toward the back of her head and pulled her into another passionate kiss.  
  
His hands began to lower exploring her body, and burning it into his being. Every touch served to remind him that she was his as he was hers. For as long as he would live, he would cherish this memory of an intimacy that he had dreamed of with the woman he loved. Ryoko gasped in excitement and then began to lead him up the stairs and into his room. As Tenchi felt himself being pulled up and into his bedroom his grip on reality was lost. Soon clothes stood piled on the floor, discarded as another pair of lovers were born.  
  
  
  
Tenchi smiled as he woke up, the memory of the previous experience freshly ingrained in his memory. He reached out for another warm body next to his remembering what he had been trying to say before sleep had carried him away.   
  
"I love you Ryoko," he murmured as his hands searched for another body. Confusion wrought on his face as his hands only met thin air. "What?" he muttered as he opened his eyes and gazed upon the bed.   
  
The darkness of night was heavy in the room, a single candle providing the only illumination. But the thing that made his heart tense was the fact that no one slept next to him. He nearly fell of the bed in amazement as he noticed that he was fully clothed.  
  
His brain immediately became active searching for any scenario as to what brought him to his current situation. Hearing the familiar footsteps of the Jurain princess, the same delicate step that he had been used to hearing walk away from the door to his room brought awareness into his mind.  
  
'She must have heard Aeka coming and dressed me and then teleported away, to avoid problems,' he rationalized. 'I still wish I had gotten to tell her I loved her last night.' In the aftermath of their passions when he had planned his confession, he had found his mouth unable to work correctly, too shell-shocked from the activities he had just experienced.   
  
He had drifted off to sleep with his mind determined to confess his love to her as soon as he had woken up. The First Crown Princess of Jurai, however, had apparently put his plan, on delay by the untimely check up.  
  
'I'll just tell her when she gets back,' he reasoned. 'But I wonder what she meant last night,' he questioned internally as a memory graced his mind. Ryoko had looked upon him with a happy smile, sleep setting in with both of them and had murmured, "Don't worry, I'll scope out everywhere that you can take me for our dates. So I'm warning you right now, you better be prepared when you come to me."  
  
He was unable to ponder any longer as a soft voice called out his name. "Tenchi? Are you awake?" Tenchi immediately shot his gaze to the shadows in the corner of his room.   
  
"Who is that?" he questioned as his eyes became adjusted to the darkness. It was a woman, but it most certainly wasn't his Ryoko. The figure in the shadows, slowly stepped forward to reveal a dark cloak, light purple hair and crimson eyes.  
  
"Nagi?" Tenchi asked with surprise evident in his voice. "What are you doing here?"  
  
A pair of tears slowly left each of her red eyes as she grabbed Tenchi by his shirt and moved over to the window throwing her cabbit out it into the sky. "Chau!" Ken-ohki cried as he transformed into a ship.  
  
"You're coming with me," she stated as both she and the prince disappeared into the ship leaving behind nothing but an empty bed. And as mysteriously as the candle had lit, it flickered, pulsating, searching for all the life it had left. And with a final flash of fury, it went out, nevermore to caress the light.  
  
  
  
  
"Nagi? What the hell are we doing?" Tenchi cried out as he stood in front of her. She had shaken off every question he had asked and he was losing his temper. "Tell me what is going on," he demanded.   
  
Suddenly the ship came to a quick and immediate stop. Tenchi flew to the ground as Nagi braced herself against the captain's chair of Ken-ohki. Wordlessly, with a gaze full of tears she pressed a button on a crystal that appeared in front of her and the two were transported again.  
  
"What the fuck is going on?" Tenchi asked with more force than he had ever used before. This served only to accomplish one thing. The stone-faced Nagi, who had never shown any weakness before began to sob.   
  
"Miss Nagi, we are here as instructed," Princess Aeka Jurai stated as she teleported to the area in which Tenchi and Nagi already were. The princess gasped in recognition as she gazed upon the interior of a spaceship. Kiyone, Mihoshi, Washu and she had been advised by the Bounty Hunter to follow her as she had said that she needed to show them all something.  
  
But now as she gazed upon an all too familiar surrounding a feeling of dread swept over her. "Oh my god, it's Ryo-ohki," she murmured as she gazed around the ships interior. This served to pry Tenchi from his anger and bring a smile to his face.   
  
"Ryoko," he called out happily as he saw a shock of cyan hair pool out over the top of the captain's chair. He happily ran over to her hoping to get a better look of the woman he loved with all his heart as a crystal with Ryo-ohki's face appeared in front of him blocking his way.  
  
"Don't go there," a young female voice cried out as Tenchi pushed by the crystals that were now trying to prevent his movement.   
  
"Stop it," he yelled as he successfully broke thought the barrier and landed on the floor next to captains chair. "Ugh," he muttered as he picked up his head up off the red floor. His heart threatened to explode as he realized that Ryo-ohki had never had a red floor.   
  
"Ryoko," he wheezed out as adrenaline surge throughout his being. His eyes only met with the sleeping pirate. "Ryoko," he called even louder as he looked at her body, her arm dangling loosely off the side of the chair and her head slumped against her shoulder.   
  
"Ryoko!" he screamed as he poked her. "Oh god, oh god," he began to chant as he shook her shoulder. "No god!" he cried out as he continued to shake her.  
  
"Oh Tsunami," Aeka whispered as she put her hands in front of her mouth.  
  
In a flash, Washu was beside Tenchi with her fingers working as fast as they could, flying across the keyboard. She screamed in frustration and collapsed onto the floor with the findings she had discovered.  
  
"You can't be dead," Tenchi cried, collapsing onto the still form of Ryoko. "Wake up," he chanted. "Wake up, wake up, wake up…" He pulled her onto the floor and tilted her head back, opening up her pathway.   
  
Lowering his head to hers, he made contact with her lips and blew a breath into her lungs. Moving away from her head, he put his hands down on her chest and began to push down in quick thrusts, all the while chanting "Wake up."   
  
The group watched on as Tenchi futilely continued to administer CPR. Tears were coursing down the man's face as he continued to try and restore life to her all the while commanding for her to wake up.   
  
"Tenchi for Gods sakes, she's dead!" Washu cried out from the ground before bursting into tears. Her red hair shook as she convulsed on the ground, overtaken by her grief.   
  
Tenchi stood up with disbelief written across his face. His eyes were wide as he backed away from the group, his motions awkward. His mouth hung open, as he whispered "no" over and over again.   
  
"It's true," the little girls voice called out in his head. "She's been dead for over a week, I couldn't get her to help fast enough," the voice cried. "She said that she wanted you to know that she loved you with all her heart and that this link with me is the only thing beyond that she could give. And she said that she'll always be watching over your shoulder so stay out of trouble," Ryo-ohki said with despair.  
  
"I don't believe it," Tenchi muttered to himself, his eyes haunted.   
  
"Then who was that… who was the woman who I laughed with… the person I made… made… the person I made love to? God damn it! Ryoko!" he screamed with all his soul. "Ryoko," he whispered.   
  
"Lord Tenchi," Aeka began with a shaky voice.   
  
"No stay away," Tenchi yelled backing away from the group. "Ryo-ohki, send them back to their ships," he ordered as he fell to the ground and threw up. Slowly the group was transported off the ship, leaving behind only Tenchi convulsing on the ground with grief.   
  
"Fly Ryo-ohki," he commanded as he fell onto his back from his kneeling position.  
  
She couldn't be dead… there was no way in hell. Goddamn it, she was too stubborn to die. Any minute now, she would pop up through the floor of the ship with as smile on her face and say, "Gotcha Tenchi. Now that ought to teach you to appreciate me a little more."  
  
But she didn't. Her body lay still on the ground, a serene smile on her face… She looked like a moment of perfection, immortalized in peace. Goddamn it! If he could just wake up, this would all be a dream and he would get on his life.   
  
He had long since become a victim of Ryoko's charms. For heavens sake, he had been madly in love with her. But he had made a vow that he would never forsake any of the girls. Promising that he would go on a trip with her when they were done had been all he could do to not take off with her. As evil as it sounded to forsake Aeka, it was a different matter when it dealt with the person he loved more than life itself.   
  
He had been so happy when she had come back. He would finally buckle down and tell her that he loved her with all his being. But god, she hadn't been back. Maybe it had been a trick by his mind, an aftereffect of stress from worrying about her.  
  
Perhaps it had been her from the afterlife. Maybe it had been her ghost back to reassure him of her feelings and to give him some last happy memories. God did he miss her.   
  
Her body was lying next to him, but her soul was a lifetime away. God did he ever miss her. The pain that surged through him was numbing… he couldn't cry. He couldn't speak. He could do nothing more than stare out into space.   
  
Why hadn't she had told him about her injuries? He would have dropped everything, forsaken Aeka if need be to save her.   
  
But god, she had turned the other cheek, her mind probably assuming that he had chosen Aeka because of his actions and had sacrificed herself so that he could be reunited with Aeka. If she had only known…  
  
But it was his fault she didn't know. He had never told her, fearing the consequences and in the end, it had cost him the life of the woman he loved. His mistake had killed her…  
  
He had killed her…  
  
Maybe it had not been him who had thrown the energy blast at her but it might as well have been.  
  
He had killed the woman he loved.   
  
Without a second thought he reached into his robes and pulled out the Tenchi-ken. Not even stopping to consider it, he ignited the blade and placed it close to his neck. He was a monster and a monster could not be permitted to live. Indeed, the only things that monsters like him could do were hurt others.  
  
"Live Tenchi," a familiar voice called.  
  
"Ryoko?" he called out only to see the transparent image of his lover appear in front of him.   
  
"Live for me," she pleaded with a warm smile.   
  
"But I can't live without you," he cried out. Sobs began to tear out of him as any emotional barriers that had been holding his numb composure fell. God did life hurt.  
  
"I'll never forget what we shared," she rebuked. "But Tenchi, there is still so much more good you can do in this universe. And remember, I still have to pick out all the spots I want to take me to when you do come. I plan on a dating binge," she said mischievously.  
  
"Live on, my love," she whispered one last time as her visage faded into the darkness of the ship.   
  
"I will live," Tenchi declared. "But I can never atone for what I have done," he declared resolutely. The only feeling that intermixed the great grief he felt was one raw emotion… one that he had never truly felt before. Tenchi experienced hate like no other… the person he hated was neither Kagato nor any other person he had ever met. The only person Tenchi Masaki ever truly hated with the core of his being…   
  
…was himself.  
  
And as the ship sailed on, Tenchi continued to cry. He would weep, dream and hate for the rest of his days, the pain lessening with time but still a painful scar. A scar on his heart…  
  
  
  
"My god," Akari muttered in disbelief. Tears fell down from his eyes matching the tears from the dying man in front of him. "Whatever happened to the man?" he managed to get out when he had gained enough composure.  
  
The man in front of the medic took a long painful breath as he answered the question, his strength beginning to recede. "He tattooed his loves name on his shoulder as a reminder that she was always watching over him," the man said weakly. After a coughing fit he continued. "From that day forth, he became a wanderer, moving about doing good, but never forgetting his mistake and his sin."  
  
"He never stopped hating himself," the man snorted bitterly. "He always hated himself for killing his love. Which is why you must confess," the dying man pleaded. "You never know what might happen. He never even got to tell her that he loved her.  
  
"That much might have saved her life, kept his family together and worked out well for everyone," he said. "But then again, he did a lot of good, which might have never been done had not a sacrifice been made. All I can say is that he never forgave himself. The good he did would never…could never atone for his sin… at least in his eyes.   
  
"So go home and tell her that you love her," the man said his voice barely audible. "By the way," he said, fighting through the pain and holding onto life as best he could. He had to do one more thing before he could pass on. "Is it that one that looked about ready to glomp you today," he asked with a faint grin.  
  
"Yes," the medic replied with another blush.  
  
"Thought so," the dying man replied. "Here is instructions on where I want to be buried," he said softly, his hand shakily reaching to the pocket of his pants. He slowly pulled out a small black box. "Everything is in there," he stated, his being feeling very heavy.  
  
"I'll tell her, and be sure to follow your instructions," the medic replied grimly, tears beginning to course down his cheeks as he watched the man in front of him die.   
  
"And when the time comes, you can use it's contents. A medics salary can't be that much," the man said to Akari as his vision began to darken. "Don't hold yourself responsible for my death, I have waited for this for longer than you can imagine."   
  
"I…" the medic got out. What could he say to something like that? Instead, he watched painfully as the man in front of him continued dying. Suddenly he medic's patients eyes lit up as if he was seeing the one thing that could bring happiness to his soul.  
  
"You came," the dying man murmured as a glowing figure filled his vision. "I knew you would. And now we can be together." The glowing woman before him smiled serenely as she descended onto him.   
  
"I think it's about time you have found forgiveness for yourself," the woman stated happily. "Come with me, and forget about our mistakes. You have a promise to fill," she eased.  
  
"And if you think your gonna get off with making me abstain from sex just because of a little difference in life and death, you're sorely mistaken mister. And don't forget, your promise. I've found tons of places I want you to take me…"  
  
Akari watched with a heavy heart as the man in front of him let loose one content laugh. A laugh of pure exhilaration and happiness as he gazed upon something that only his eyes could see. And with a final word, his voice died out and his eyes became glazed over. His chest ceased rising as the man who had lived with so much pain died.  
  
Akari held his breath as he tore open the cloak revealing the man's tanned skin. With a short laugh, he gazed upon the name he found on the man's left shoulder. "Ryoko," he said, the word the man he gazed upon had uttered in death, and the name tattooed on his shoulder.   
  
"Thank you," he murmured as he closed his eyes in grief and thankfulness. He opened the black box he had been given to gaze upon an engagement ring, a folded up letter and a picture of a cyan haired woman with golden eyes and a mischievous smile.   
  
  
  
  
"Jade, you don't have to come," Akari said as he finished packing up his luggage into the spaceship. He would transport the body to Earth to Okayama in Japan specifically. And there, he would bury the man who had taught him so much next to the grave of the women he loved, at the small Masaki shrine.   
  
"This man saved my life," she shot back. "Well even though he did save all of Jurai, he still was next to me and took the laser blast for me when the terrorist began shooting," she retorted. "I at least owe him this much."  
  
"And besides Akari-poo," the woman cooed as she glomped onto his shoulder as they stood in the loading dock at the local spaceship launch. "It's a long trip and I know plenty of ways for us to entertain ourselves," she purred.  
  
She smiled seductively as she began to draw little circles on his shoulder with one of her fingers. "Don't you want me to come, Akari-chan?"  
  
The dead man's words, still fresh in his head, he gathered his courage and took his stand. "I do Jade. In fact… I kind of…" His face turned red as he continued. "I kind of want you to come with me everywhere."  
  
"Akari?" the woman asked, stunned beyond belief.   
  
"What I'm trying to say is that… I love you Jade and I always will," Akari managed to get out. His face was crimson red and he wore a goofy yet happy smile.  
  
"I love you too," the GP officer managed to get out before their heads began to approach. Time stood still as the two's lips locked together in a soul searching kiss. A kiss shared between soul mates that had found one another.   
  
And as the sun began to set, shrouding the couples features, one could almost swear that they saw a young brown eyed, black haired man, kissing a golden eyed, cyan haired woman in a single moment of what could have been… what should have been.   
  
And what now was.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Closing: Afterimage by Rush  
Suddenly, you were gone   
From all the lives you left your mark upon   
  
  
I remember   
How we talked and drank into the misty dawn   
I hear the voices   
  
  
We ran by the water on the wet summer lawn   
I see the footprints   
I remember   
  
  
I feel the way you would   
I feel the way you would   
  
  
Tried to believe but you know it's no good   
This is something that just can't be understood   
  
  
I remember   
The shouts of joy skiing fast through the woods   
I hear the echoes   
  
  
I learned your love for life,   
I feel the way that you would   
I feel your presence   
I remember   
  
  
I feel the way you would   
This just can't be understood...  
  
  
  
  
  
Authors Notes:  
  
  
Well this is most certainly a departure from my normal happy-go-lucky, romantic WAFFiness (Warm And Fuzzy Feeling). This story is mostly a by-product of a statement that Rurouni Ken-ohki (at least I think) made in #tenchiff on IRC. The statement was that he didn't think that Tenchi TV's ending was **that** good simply because they gave Ryoko a great death scene only to bring her back. I sorta took in that comment and while I was sitting on the front bow of my families motorboat enjoying the constant up-down motion of the waves… and the occasional flight through the air (I love boating!) Inspiration struck.   
  
This is my first Angst/Dark fic and as being so, almost an experiment for me. I hope that you enjoyed it. Heck, if you felt sort of odd after reading this… then I'm sorta on my way there. If you got a little teary, I'm thrilled I could incite emotion and if you cried… Awesome!  
  
I sort of relied a little on the shock treatment but I think it fitted. And heck I love reviews so keep 'em coming. Flame me if you want to… if it's just because it was sad, I'll take it as a compliment (of course I appreciate constructive reviews and criticism infinitely more). Hell I even have a mind to flame myself for writing it.   
  
"I suck. Man I should stick to WAFF."  
  
There's my daily dose of self induced open-hearth flames to roast over.   
  
Now for all you people wondering about Crown…  
  
I'm Halfway done with the next chapter… having the most fun I;ve had yet with it and heavily inspired. Which means that we might see another update sometime in the near future. It all depends on how fast my summer reading goes…(my school even has me do work over the summer) and if I can ever get through Middlemarch by George Eliot (no more dang author analysis's please lady, straight dialogue is a-ok with me… why won't the book end?). Well anyways, C&C is always welcome at Ledzepfan111@hotmail.com (I'll even take flames there too) and in case you missed it, I did update Crown before with Chapter 5: Mysteries Revealed… that was sometime in July so if you missed it, check it out and leave a review ^_^.  
  
Peace and Please remember that even if I do smell really nice while I'm being roasted with flames… eating humans is still cannibalism.  
  
Thanks and I prefer high quality grade A non store brand lighter fluid,  
-Ledzepfan   
  
  
Credits due where credits deserved so I'd like to thank the following:  
  
Malena (You go girl! Can't wait for more Sea, and I so appreciate the little advice. It fits perfectly)  
Will (Rock on oh mighty god of thunder…)  
Andrew (I'm still kinda miffed about my name not being included in Second Time Around Self insersion part but oh well… rock on pops!)  
Javi ( Pimp on at JMU man… especially with your new Dell!) 


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